10 for Families: What to See With Your Kids This Weekend

Whether your kids are lucky enough to have a couple more weeks of summer break left (mine are off until after Labor Day!), or they're just back to school, it's always a good idea to relax and enjoy a movie together. Here are 10 suggestions for what to see this weekend.

1. For Families Who Want One Last Trip to the Movieplex:'Nanny McPhee Returns' (PG) - in theatersWho's In It: Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal,Rhys IfansWhat It's About: Thompson reprises her role as Nanny McPhee -- the ugliest nanny in the world -- in this 'Babe'-meets-'Mary Poppins' sequel that finds her helping a frazzled army wife (Gyllenhaal) keep her farm afloat and her three country kids from killing their snooty London cousins. Synchronized-swimming piglets, baby elephants, an adorable youngest child, and sweet-talking hit women are just a few of the reasons this British family flick will tickle your kids. It's not quite as charming as the original, but a couple of the scenes may cause parental misty-eye syndrome.• Get showtimes & tickets
Whether your kids are lucky enough to have a couple more weeks of summer break left (mine are off until after Labor Day!), or they're just back to school, it's always a good idea to relax and enjoy a movie together. Here are 10 suggestions for what to see this weekend.

1. For Families Who Want One Last Trip to the Movieplex:'Nanny McPhee Returns' (PG) - in theatersWho's In It: Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal,Rhys IfansWhat It's About: Thompson reprises her role as Nanny McPhee -- the ugliest nanny in the world -- in this 'Babe'-meets-'Mary Poppins' sequel that finds her helping a frazzled army wife (Gyllenhaal) keep her farm afloat and her three country kids from killing their snooty London cousins. Synchronized-swimming piglets, baby elephants, an adorable youngest child, and sweet-talking hit women are just a few of the reasons this British family flick will tickle your kids. It's not quite as charming as the original, but a couple of the scenes may cause parental misty-eye syndrome.• Get showtimes & tickets

2. For Families With Graphic-Novel-Loving Teens:'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World' (PG-13) - in theatersWho's In It:Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran CulkinWhat It's About: As the titular antihero, Cera is once again a hipster Everyman-boy, except this time he's got unexplained superpowers that allow him to battle his love-interest Ramona's Seven Evil Exes. This gamer's romance is clever and funny and has a few awesome fight scenes, not to mention a scene-stealing performance by Culkin as Scott's roommate. You don't have to be a self-proclaimed geek to love this fantasy comedy.

3. For Boy-Targeted Middle-School Comedy: 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'(PG) - on DVDWho's In It: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael HarrisWhat It's About: Oh, the perils of trying desperately not to be on the bottom of the popularity totem pole. Based on Jeff Kinney's best-selling cartoon novels, this adorably goofy comedy is certain to make kids and tweens guffaw, make jokes about the "cheese touch," and ponder the unconditional nature of best-friendship. But be warned -- there's lots of scatological humor, so prepare yourself for boogers, farts, and stinky-boy laughter.

4. For Fantastic Stop-Action Animation : 'James and the Giant Peach'(PG) - on DVDWho's In It: Joanna Lumley, Simon Callow, Richard DreyfussWhat It's About: Roald Dahl by way of Tim Burton and stop-action-master Henry Selick -- what could be better? Follow little orphan James as he develops a remarkable bond with the bugs he meets living in magical giant peach. To escape his horrible aunts, James and his new pals hatch a plan to get to New York City, a big place for big dreams. It's a visually dazzling adventure that everyone in the family can enjoy.
•Buy or rent the DVD

5. For A Tear-Jerking Teen Romance: 'The Last Song'(PG-13) - on DVDWho's In It:Miley Cyrus, Kelly Preston, Greg KinnearWhat It's About: Goodbye Hannah Montana, hello angsty Miley! In this Nicholas Sparks adaptation (need we say more to attract hordes of young girls?), a moody 17-year-old (Cyrus) must leave New York to spend the summer with her father (Kinnear) in a Georgia beach-town and falls in love with a local cutie (Liam Hemsworth) who's as smart (and rich!) as he is unassuming and charming. Talk about perfect summer romances.

6. For Old-School Nickelodeon Gold: 'The Rugrats Movie'(G)- on DVDWho's In It: Elizabeth Daily, Christine Cavanaugh, Kath SoucieWhat It's About: Long before TV-watching kids went ga-ga over 'SpongeBob' and 'iCarly,' Nickelodeon's signature series was the hilarious animated comedy 'Rugrats,' which showed the world from the point of view of four babies. In the elementary- and preschool-friendly movie adaptation, Tommy, Angelica, Phil, and Lil get lost trying to return Tommy's disliked baby brother to the hospital and have a heck of a time finding their way back home.

7. For 'So You Think You Can Dance' Fans: 'Step Up 3D'(PG-13) - in theatersWho's In It:Rick Malambri, Adam G. Sevani, Sharni VinsonWhat It's About: Some of us grew up with 'Dirty Dancing' and 'Breakin'' but the young'uns have to make do with this hybrid of the two -- only it's probably not going to be talked about in 20 years by future entertainment writers. Still, the dance sequences, for families who like their pop-and-lock and multiple-round dance battles, is pretty fantastic. If you can watch it without paying the 3D surcharge, even better, because the dance speaks for itself -- no glasses necessary.

8. For Families Ready for R-Rated Comedy: 'National Lampoon's Vacation'(R) - on DVDWho's In It:Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Anthony Michael HallWhat It's About: Yes, there are naughty jokes, sexual innuendo and even brief nudity. But I saw this with my mom when I was *cough* a tween *cough* but she had no problem putting her hands over my eyes. If you have kids old enough to enjoy this classic roadtrip comedy together, do it. The Griswolds' disastrous trip to Wally World is a must-see, and on the plus side, your teens will appreciate your own vacations so much more.

9. For Families Prepping For Football Season: 'Remember the Titans'(PG) - on DVDWho's In It:Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Donald FaisonWhat It's About: Feel-good sports dramas are always good family fun, especially if your kids are varsity types in the making. But even families with football-phobic offspring are likely to find this story compelling. It's the based-on-a-true-story tale of a racially integrated football team led by an influential black coach (Washington, naturally) in 1971 Virginia. There's memorable music, great performances, and a football-as-great-equalizer message that's hard to resist.
• Buy or rent the DVD

10. For Gen-X Parents Who Want to Relive Their Childhood: 'Ghostbusters'(PG) - on DVD
Who's In It: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
What It's About: You know you want your kiddos to say "Ghostbusters!" if you say "Who you gonna call?" -- especially if you grew up in the '80s.As a child of that most awesome decade in pop-culture, it's my moral duty to initiate my kids eventually in the ways of slime, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, the comedy genius of Murray, Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis, and of course, Ray Parker Jr.'s unforgettable theme song.